


Promise

by morgay



Series: Across Time and Space [10]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Across Time and Space (ATAS), Angst, Blood, Bullies, Crying, Emotional Abuse, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Abuse, Mulder is young, Physical Abuse, Sobbing, YEEE THE ANGSTTTT, beat up, breakdown - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 11:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13763472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgay/pseuds/morgay
Summary: young!Mulder || David makes Fox Mulder a promise. Pre Across Time and Space (9).





	Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Ayyy so yeah there's some violence in this one, which I'm sure you all are used to anyway, and an OC named David Wilson that's an old childhood friend of Mulder's. They were sorta shipped by our ATAS fanbase (lol who am I kidding it's just me, Alina, and our friends) and I decided to make a oneshot showing how great of a friend David is ;) Also if you've read ATAS the full way through you've seen this guy quite recently. So here's his kiddy version! Enjoy!

"Where are those bruises from?"

Fox visibly stiffened, his mind looking like it was racking his next list of excuses on why he was injured. David frowned, forcing himself to tear his gaze away from his friend. What would he say this time?

"I fell down the steps outside," he finally said.

David flinched. It was almost like Fox was pretending he didn't know what his dad did to him. I mean come on, the Mulder had begged him to not tell child protective services, the police, or anyone. David had frowned, knowing that wasn't the right thing to do but... he was loyal. He wanted to stay loyal, that meant keeping Fox's secrets.

Even if he felt disgusted at himself for keeping them.

"Come on, we're gonna be late for class," Fox urged.

David rolled his eyes. "It's our last period, what's the big deal?"

Fox whirled around, his hazel eyes flashing with fear and the teen knew what that look was. The look of a boy so terrified to get beaten by his dad he wouldn't even risk a phone call from the school home. God, it broke his heart.

"Okay," David sighed, rubbing his face. He was so tired, his insomnia was getting worse and he was so worried about Fox getting fatally injured he just couldn't find it inside himself to sleep at all. That anger bubbled up inside his chest, threatening to spill over soon if his friend's dad didn't stop abusing his son. Fox had already lost his sister, were lashes really necessary?

 _His dad is a drunk. His mom doesn't care. Why am I surprised, they're a broken family and William can't really take his anger and despair out on anyone.. except his son._ Which was so wrong in so many different ways.

Realizing that Fox was heading toward class before the bell rang, David hurried to catch up. A breath left his lips when he was tripped and he fell to the ground, groaning as his books scattered across the empty hall. He looked up and his green eyes immediately darkened to see who it was.

Dan Harmon, "Lip" (his real name was Lipten, some dumbass name given by dumbass parents) Moore, and Tommy Williams. All raging assholes that targeted Fox and, since he was friends with him, David.

"What's up, freak?" Dan scowled, his brows furrowed as a smirk stretched onto his lips. "Gonna go kill someone else today? They already let you off the hook for your sister, I can't imagine what else you're thinking of doing."

Fox flinched, his eyes becoming glassy and teary-eyed as he stepped away. His friend didn't say anything, just listened to the insults being spit until David couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey!" he shouted toward the older teens. "Get a grip. He didn't kill his sister, that's absurd, it's a legal fact that she was.." David looked towards Fox's heartbroken look and shuddered. "She was abducted, okay?"

"HAH! Abducted, what, was she taken by aliens?"

Okay now Fox was really freaking out. The other smaller male let out a choked sob as he wiped tears from his eyes, staggering back and losing his balance. Dan snorted as he strolled forward. "Wow. What a pathetic little creature. You actually hang out with this thing?"

David realized the bully had asked him a question and he narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, I do. He's a great guy and-"

The wind was knocked out of the brown-haired teen when a fist entered his gut. He tried to breathe but found he couldn't, David writhing as he fell to the ground. Fox was easily overcome by Dan and Tommy and crumpled to the ground, his cries filling the abandoned hall as he tried to fight back but failed so, so terribly. David realized Lip was the one that had punched him and he growled, leaping up and letting his fist connect with the guy's cheek.

Lip's eyes went ablaze and he tackled David. The younger teen scratched and kicked, blood flying all over the place as the bully snarled. "You fucking- AGH! Stop it with your little claws!"

Knuckles smashed into his face and he gasped, seeing black spots cover his vision. David's head fell back into the ground and he was punched again, and again, until the fear that Lip would actually kill him settled in. But he was too weak to fight back, his arms were like noodles compared to this guy. God he shouldn't have punched, he-

And it stopped almost as soon as it had started. The bullies scampered away when the bell rang, running to whatever class they were going to inevitably be late to. Since they were in the mostly abandoned part of the school no one probably heard... which David wished someone would've helped them.

The male touched his bloody forehead and felt like he was going to faint, his face was already aching and he was pretty sure he had a black eye. But when he looked over for Fox he saw his friend was in much worse shape, lying on his side and wheezing. The Wilson's eyes widened and he scrambled over, his own pain forgotten as he saw the agony Fox was in. God damn it, Fox had already been beaten by his dad, why'd those bullies have to make it worse?!

Biting down his anger, David let his arms wrap around Fox and he helped his friend up, feeling like his bones were being fucking crushed from Fox's weight, even though the other teen was smaller in size. David groaned, huffs leaving his lips as he led the way outside. And as he wrapped his arm around his friend's neck a chill wrapped down his limbs and shook him to the core. Butterflies filled his stomach and he was left breathless, what was that feeling?

When David looked over at Fox's tear stained face he realized now. He loved his friend. As a buddy and... maybe as something more. But Fox had enough to worry about, David wasn't going to mess that up by confessing or anything like that.. besides, he hadn't even come out to his family yet. His older brother knew but... he feared what his parents would say.

"W-wait where are we going?!" Fox asked suddenly in alarm, the teen just realizing they were leaving the school.

"Back to my place!" David chirped, masking the pain that ripped through his skull. "My brother is a nurse, he can help us."

"NO!" Fox ripped himself out of David's grasp and tried to limp back to his stuff but fell instead, panting and heaving uncomfortably.

"Fox, you're in terrible shape, come on, let's go-"

"NO! Y-you don't understand! I'll miss class, the school will call, my dad will beat me to hell, I'M NOT GONNA EVEN BE ABLE TO WALK TOMORROW BECAUSE OF WHAT HE'LL DO TO ME! I-I can't miss class! I can't! I... I.." His yells turned into sobs and David's heart broke for his friend, he couldn't even imagine that weight being held up on his shoulders. But he had to help Fox in any way possible.

So he crouched down by the other teen and brushed back his friend's brown hair, that tingly feeling running though his veins but he ignored it. "Fox, you've already missed class thanks to those bullies. You can't possibly make it, we're both hurt and my house is only half a block away. What are you gonna do, stumble into class like that? You'd be held up here even longer. I know your dad was worse yesterday Fox, and I know you're hurting because of these new injuries, but we have to get you cleaned up. Like I said, my brother will know what to do and if not he'll he happy to pay for your hospital fee. If you go, of course."

There was a long draw of silence before Fox's beautiful- wha? Beautiful? Where did that come from? Before Fox's hazel eyes opened and he nodded weakly. "Okay. You're right. Th-thanks David..."

His heart melted. David smiled at the thanks, helping Fox up and hobbling away from the school toward home.

"David... do you think my dad will ever stop... stop doing what he's doing? And will those guys at school finally leave me alone?"

David frowned at the out of the blue question. "Your dad will stop soon, you hear me? And don't worry about those stupid bullies! I'm gonna be here for you every step of the way."

David smiled softly and brought his friend closer.

"I promise."


End file.
